Flexible wooden sole



April 5, 1949.. w. J. CAlN FLEXIBLE WOODEN SOLE Filed March 15, 1947 INVENTOR WBLLIAM J. CAIN I 3, hi/41w 4,

ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 5, 3949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,466,373 FLEXIBLE WOODEN SOLE William J. Cain, Overland, Mo. Application March 13, 1947, Serial No. 734,479

My invention relates to foot-wear generally, and has particular reference to improvements in clogs and like articles of foot-wear chiefly characterized by sole members formed of wood or other semi-rigid or stiff materials. Foot-wear of the kind to which the present invention is especially applicable are widely used at bathing places and are referred to as beach and solarium shoes.

The principal object of my invention is attained in an improved sole construction which greatly enhances the wearing comfort of this type of foot-Wear. My invention eliminates an important disadvantage and undesirable characteristic attending the wearing of wooden sole shoes which, in the prevailing form and construction thereof, afford practically no cushioning for the foot and as a. result the average user finds them uncomfortable and tiring after short periods of wear.

The object of my invention resides in the provision of a sole structure that may be inexpensively produced from semi-rigid materials such as wood, or formed by molding processes of plastic or other relatively inexpensive materials, and which may be embodied in a sandal for beach or similar usage that is considerably more comfortable than former clog types of foot-wear.

My invention resides in the improved form and construction of the sole member hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. l is a top plan view of a sandal, and Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of this sandal, illustrating my improved sole construction.

Described in general terms, the sole structure hereof comprises upper and lower parts which for convenience and by analogy to corresponding members in conventional foot-wear may be referred to as insole and outsole members. The outsole is a relatively stiff element having integral heel, shank and forepart portions 5, 6 and 1, respectively, and the insole designated 8 extends the full length of the outsole and has its chief support only at the toe region, the insole normally being free of and constituting a longitudinal bridge above the major portion of the forepart I and the shank 6. The insole member 8 is preferably directly and fixedly united to the outsole at the toe portion so that there can be no independent lateral or longitudinal movement of these members relative to each other. At the heel areas, however, a pad 9 of yieldable and preferably resilient material is desirably included between the heel part and the super- 4 Claims. (01. 36-28) 2 jacent heel area of the insole 8, providing for a cushioned vertical yieldability of that member. Proceeding now with a more detailed description of my invention as embodied in the sandal clog illustrated herein, the sole structure is produced from an integral block of material, in the present example wood. The block is cut by saw or other suitable forming tools to give it the plan contour of a conventional shoe sole, and the top and bottom surfaces are trimmed to give lateral definition to the heel, shank, and forepart. As appears from'Fig. 2, the trimmed sole block will be relatively thick at the ball and heel areas, attenuated at the shank by the removal of an arcuate section 'at'the bottom side, and

tapered forwardly of the ball area also by removal of material chiefly from the bottom side. Thereafter intermediate material is removed, as by means of a band saw, to define what have heretofore been referred to as insole and outsole parts. The cut is desirably made from the heel end and terminates short of the toe end so that the said parts remain united at the forward extremity of the structure. The insole part 8 may be of substantially uniform thickness from heel to toe, and the outsole in the forepart regions is desirably thicker than in the shank which extends in an arch to the lower breast surface of the heel.

A layer of material of between one-fourth and one-half inch in thickness is removed from the upper end of the heel block 5, providing space between it and the heel part of the insole 8 to accommodate the pad 9 formed of a cushioning material such as sponge rubber or felt. This pad may be cemented or otherwise secured in place.

The arched shank portion '6 is formed so that its uppermost surface is spaced from the insole 8 a distance which is preferably somewhat less than the thickness of pad 9, so as to permit of an appreciable downwardly yielding of the insole 8, opposed by the cushioning influence of the pad 9 but limited by contact of the insole with the arched shank portion. Thus when the full weight of the foot is applied to the sole structure the insole may be directly supported at the shank as well as the heel and toe regions. The described construction enables the insole to be made suficiently thin to afford a limited degree of inherent yieldability, while providing reenforcement and support therefor, after it has yielded a predetermined extent, so as then to provide a more solid support for the foot. Moreover, the described construction prevents undue compression and distortion of the pad 8 so that one having less density and greater resiliency may be employed, conducing to an enhanced servicability of that member. The arched construction of the outsole shank portion 6 makes for flexibility to a limited degree in that member which further tends to improve the wearing comfort of the article.

The upper construction of the sandal is not involved in the present invention and may be of any suitable type or form. I'hat shown in the present example is of a widely used sandal variety made up of a pair of broad cross straps l0 forming the vamp, from which lead a heel sling H held by vertical side straps I2. The-vamp crossstraps l0 and heel side straps H are, in this example, secured to the side margins of the insole member 8 by nails 13 having large ornamental heads.

'4 in the said regions toward and from the outsole member, the shank portion of said outsole member projecting upwardly to provide an abutment surface adapted to engage and limit downward flexing of the shank portion of the insole member.

2. A sole structure as set forth in claim 1 including a pad of resilient material interposing the heel portions of the insole and outsole members.

:3. A solestructure comprising insole and outsole members fixedly secured together only in the toe regions and spaced apart rearwardly of said toe regions, said insole member being stiff, but adapted to flex toward and from the outsole member, said outsole member having rigid forepart and heel portions integrally formed with an inwardly arched, slightly flexible shank portion,

The sole structure of my invention has been described herein as being produced from a single block of material so that the insole and outsole portions are integrally united at the toe end, but it will be understood thatthe insole and outsole members may also be formed separately and thereafter secured together at the toe end as by means of cement or nails. Moreover, the sole members may be produced by molding,v either separately or integrally, also without departing from the spirit and full intendment of the invention which is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A sole structure comprising a vstiif outsole member having integral heel, shank and forepart portions, a stiff insole member substantially coextensive with the outsole member, said mem bers being fixedly secured together only in the toe regions thereof, said members normally being spaced apart in the heel, shank and iorepart regions to permit flexing of the insole member REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Wiessner Oct. 3, 1939 OTHER REFERENCES Popular Mechanics, June 1943, page 103. American Shoemaking, page -7, July 5, 1939. American 'Shoemaking, page 9, Dec. 6, 1939.

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